Ubuntu 12.10 has been released, sporting the rather... Interesting tagline 'Avoid the pain of Windows 8'. Two main features are that websites can now be treated as actual applications, integrating them into Unity. The divide between local and online content when searching has also been softened, which, they claim, makes it easier to find what you're looking for. On the server side, it includes the Folsom release of OpenStack, "Cinder, for block storage and Quantum, a virtual networking API. Ubuntu's Metal-as-a-Service bare-metal provisioning tool has been updated and now supports Calxeda hyperscale hardware based on ARM".

Runs desktop software beautifully, is distributed along with the Linux kernel, requires no configuration whatsoever, works out of the box, will never be dropped (as legacy hardware) in terms of ongoing support.

You aren't doing it right. Choose a desktop (such as Ubuntu) which is oriented to giving a good desktop experience to non-expert users, and you will have a good experience as a non-expert user. Choose a system which experts (suppliers) will certify runs Linux (by being prepared to sell it to you pre-installed), and you will not have to edit a single config file in a decade.

Runs desktop software beautifully, is distributed along with the Linux kernel, requires no configuration whatsoever, works out of the box, will never be dropped (as legacy hardware) in terms of ongoing support.

Which juvenile downvoted these? They are both perfectly factual and on-topic.

It depends on the generation of the GPU though. My desktop's PCIe HD 6570 runs much faster and smoother with the closed driver than the open one, and it's stable as well. It installs easily on both Slackware and Kubuntu. On the other hand, the computer's onboard X1150 GPU only works with the legacy open Radeon driver, and isn't too stable at that.

It depends on the generation of the GPU though. My desktop's PCIe HD 6570 runs much faster and smoother with the closed driver than the open one, and it's stable as well. It installs easily on both Slackware and Kubuntu. On the other hand, the computer's onboard X1150 GPU only works with the legacy open Radeon driver, and isn't too stable at that.

With some programs/desktops it is the open source radeon driver that runs much faster and smoother.

However, where there is a problem, it is only for the open source driver that FOSS developers can do anything about it. For the closed driver (which comes from Windows and is embedded in a translation wrapper for use on Linux) ... the attitude would be "meh, it works on Windows, will not fix".

Also, in terms of improving and upgrading the Linux graphics stack (for example, for things like KMS and Wayland) ... new directions and improvements in the stack can only be embarked upon if the drivers are open. Closed drivers force the status quo, and they will stagnate the Linux graphics stack and will frustrate attempts at improving it.